Imitation house.



F. A. STEGHER. MITATIoN HOUSE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.5, 1908.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909, 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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F. A. STECHER.

IMITATION HOUSE. APPLIO'ATION FILED SEPT. 5, 190e.

Patented Jan, 19; 1909.

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F. A. STECHER.

IMITATION HOUSE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5. 1908. 91 0.240. Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

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FRANK A. STEOHER, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

IMI'IATION HOUSE.

Specification lof Letters Patent.

Application led September 5, 1908.

Patented aan. 19, 1909.

seen No. 451,863.

T o all whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that l, FRANK A. STECHER, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Imitation Houses; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear7 and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

The present invention relates to an advertising device for wall aper, paints and the like and it has for an 0 ject to provide a construction which will act as an effective ad vertising medium and at the same time will be inexpensive to manufacture and will be collapsible in order that it will not consume much space in shipping.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinae tions of parts all as will 'be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification. l

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front view of the device; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section; Fig. 3 is a transverse section; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section; Fig. 5 is a horizon tal section of the vertical walls in collapsed condition; and Figs. 6 and 7 are views of the opposite sides of the body blank.

The device is constructed as an imitation dwelling house divided into a number of rooms each having a wall cut away to expose other walls which are decorated with wall paper, paint or the like, each compartment preferably having a different decoration.

The present embodiment of the invention comprises a body having front and rear walls 1 and 2 respectively connected by end or side walls 3 and 4 and an interior wall 5, a top wall 6 preferably separated from the body serving to represent the roof of the house and horizontal partitions 7 dividing the body into compartments arranged one above another.

In manufacturing this invention it is referred to employ a continuous stri of sieet material, such as card board, an print or otherwise form on one side of the strip decorations to represent the exterior of the house such as boards or bricks, these decorations being preferably formed before the strip is cut from the sheet material in order to save l a` separate handling of each body blanlr. The other side of the strip has preferably a number of fields of different decorations to represent the interior walls of the house. These decorations may if desired be placed on the strip while it is in a fiat state and after it has been cut .and each iield may be formed by a separate piece of material or it may be printed on the strip.

The strip is bent between its ends to form the front wall 1 which is provided with two vertical series of openings 9 to expose the interior of each compartment to view. Other bends in the strips form the end walls 3 and l and still other bends form the rear wall which is made in two sections secured toe gether at 2a, one of which has the interior Wall 5 extended from its inner edge and secured at 8 to the front wall between the two vertical series of openings 9. This arrangement permits the body to fold at its' vertical corners in the direction of one of its diagonals so that it will occupy very little space in shipment.

When constructed in the manner above described the outer side of that portion of the strip forming wall 5 is located within the house and in order to cover its decoration which is the saine as the exterior of the house, therefis employed a separate strip 10 which is decorated to corres lond to the two compartments in which it is ocated.

The horizontal partitions are removably arranged within the body on opposite sides of the opening 9 and order to support them in position they are provided at their sides with flanges 11, preferably made resilient in order that they may frictionally engage the side walls. These flanges may also be decorated to form a border for the horizontal fields and serve to cover the lines formed by the horizontal edges of the ields. Three of the horizontal partitions also serve for holding the wall 10 in position.

The top wall may be formed of a separate piece of material which is folded to provide two converging portions supported on opposite sides of inverted V shaped extensions 12 preferably arranged on the side walls 3 and 4. The top or roof section may be held in position by tongues 13 which extend horizontally and outwardly from the base of the side wall extensions 12, and also by horizontally arranged tongues 14 which are formed on the upper portion of wall 5, slots lila being formed in the roof section to receive the tongues. At the apexes of the extensions 12 may be provided extensions 15 which are formed to represent the chimneys and are passed through slots in the roof section to assist in securing the latter.

To fold the device the top 5 and the horizontal partitions are first removed; and then plie body may be collapsed as shown in 1lrom the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided an inexpensive device which may be employed for elfectively advertising wall paper, paint or other material used in the decoration of buildings. The construction is such that it may be ship ed in a knock down condition, thus ren ering the cost of distribution very small. It may be either placed in show windows or cases, or given away to be used as doll houses for children.

I claim as my invention.

l. An imitation house comprising a collapsible body having a vertical series of openings in one wall thereof, and removable horizontally arranged partitions having resilient members at their edges frictionally engaging the interior walls of the body on opposite sides of the openings.

2. An imitation house comprising a body having the interior faces of its side walls differently decorated in diilerent horizontal fields7 and horizontal partitions covering the linles at the horizontal edges of the different fie ds.

3. An imitation house comprising a body having the interior faces of its side walls differently decorated in different horizontal elds, and removable horizontal partitions provided with resilient flanges at its edges, frictionally engaging the side walls and covering lines at the horizontal edges of the different fields.

4. An imitation house comprising a front wall which has openings formed therein in two vertical series, two end walls a rear wall formed in two sections and an interior wall carried by one of the rear wall sections and secured to the front wall between the two series of openings, all of said walls being formed from a single strip of material,

and horizontally arranged partitions having flanges engaging the interior faces of the walls between the openings of each series.

5. An imitation house comprising a front and a back wall, end walls provided with inverted V extensions having top wall securing tongues, an interior wall connecting the front and the back wall and extended above them, the extended portion beingV provided with top securingitongues, and a top wall lying on both sides of the end wall extensions and having slots to receive the tongues thereof and of the interior wall.

6. An imitation house formed from a strip of material decorated on one side to represent the exterior of the house and on its other side to represent the interior, the strip being bent between its ends to provide a front wall which has openings, side walls, a rear wall formed into two sections, and an interior wall that projects from a rear wall section and is secured to the front wall, and a strip decorated for the interior of the house, separate from the continuous stri and covering that face of the interior wal that is decorated to represent the exterior of the house.

7. An imitation house formed from a strip of material decorated on one side to represent the exterior of the house and on its other side to represent the interior, the strip being bent between its ends to rovide a front wall which has two vertical) series of openings, side walls, a rear wall formed into two sections and an interior wall that projects from a rear wall section and is secured to the front wall between the two series of openings; a strip decorated for the interior of the house, separate from the continuous strip and covering that face of the interior wall forming member that is decorated to represent the exterior of the house, and horizontal partitions having resilient flanges frictionally engaging the interior faces of the walls on opposite sides of the openings of each series.

FRANK A.V STECHER.

Witnesses:

OTTo R. Rona, HERBERT J. MUssMAoHER. 

